1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to system and method for maintaining live and remote audience interest in productions, including a method of conducting an auto race.
2. Background of the Invention
Currently, there are a wide variety of productions conducted in the hope of attracting fans. Fans may watch in person (i.e., by attending the live performances) or remotely (i.e., through broadcast or Webcast). During such events, it is typically in the sponsor's interest to keep fans interested in the event. In practice, however, there are many reasons why a fan's interest might wane during the event.
The term “auto” means any car, truck, boat, motorcycle, or any other vehicle that is self-propelled. An “auto race” is any event where at least one auto is involved in a speed contest.
In the field of auto racing, events such as NASCAR races are attended by race fans. Race fans are generally very loyal to their favorite race car driver. During a race, if their favorite driver is involved in an accident, experiences mechanical problems, falls far off the pace, or for some other reason it becomes clear that their favorite driver will not win, those fans loyal to the unfortunate driver who is not likely to win begin leaving the race before its conclusion.
The fan attrition is much worse in auto racing than in other professional sports. At least in other professional sports, like football or baseball, ideally half of the stands are filled with fans rooting for the winning team. Obviously, this percentage is much higher if the winning team is playing on its own home field and much lower if the winning team is playing an away game. Fans will also stay to watch a close game. So, in other professional sports there is a chance that most of the fans will stay until the end of the game.
In auto racing, however, very few fans stay for the entire race. A large number of cars, generally around forty cars, start the race. Not every driver has a loyal fan base; perhaps ten to twenty drivers out of forty will have loyal fans (as opposed to just two sets of loyal fans for most other professional sports). So, near the end of the race, there might be at most five cars in the lead pack. All of the remaining cars have either experienced accidents, mechanical breakdowns or are too far behind to catch the leaders. The fans rooting for those thirty five cars now out of contention most likely leave the race early. This leaves a very small percentage of fans, generally less than 20%, who stay for the entire race. Fans who might stay for a close race often do not get the opportunity. Races are rarely close and are generally decided by large margins.
In addition to the large percentage of fans that actually attend the race who lose interest before the finish, a large percentage of another group of fans, those watching the race on television, also tend to lose interest before the finish. The behavior of this second group of fans, the ones who watch the race on television, is very important to the success of any racing event. Disinterest by viewers in the later portions of the race tends to reduce the television ratings of event and thus diminishes the commercial value of the event. Maintaining high television ratings throughout the entire event, and not just the beginning, is critical to attracting and sustaining the support of sponsors.
Clearly, one of the shortcomings of conventional races and racing series is their lack of ability to retain the interest of a significant percentage of fans and viewers throughout the entire event. This problem is notable in the auto racing context, but is experienced to lesser or greater extents in almost all performance events.